The US election debate heats up as Mars opposes Jupiter

October 27, 2012 By

Mars opposite JupiterMars is the planet of aggression and warfare, and it is currently traveling through Sagittarius, the sign of ideology, theology, belief systems, confidence, and all things expansive.  So it’s no wonder that the political rhetoric in the US is inflating to ridiculous proportions.

Over the past week this inflation has grown even more ridiculous over the past week since Mars has been approaching an opposition (180 degree aspect) to Jupiter.  This aspect culminates on the 28th (Sunday) and is embedded in the chart for the Taurus Full Moon which I’ll be discussing tomorrow.

This aspect affects not only politics, but all areas of our lives.  Righteous anger will be everywhere over the next few days, along with frustration when we don’t get our way.

Jupiter shows where we desire to be god, and when Jupiter opposes Mars, especially when Mars is in Jupiter’s own sign.  There is a great deal of positive energy available to us now because Mars activates the potential for Jupiter to expand and create abundance and prosperous feelings.  But in its role as God of War, Mars can also activate the aggressive side of our natures and encourage strife and conflict (Mars) for the sake of our beliefs (Jupiter).  This isn’t always a bad thing, but under this influence it can get out of hand if not approached with conscious sensitivity.

This aspect from Mars to Jupiter can be somewhat strident and obnoxious. However, it can also give us the courage that we need to push through a barrier that would otherwise be difficult even though the aspect lasts for only a couple of days. If we approach this time (the 26th through the 29th) with awareness, this can be a lucky time in which doors open and opportunities are presented to us.

In order to accomplish this, spend some time to pay attention to how your beliefs are affecting your current reality, and where some tweaking might be needed in order to create the kind of balance required by this planetary cycle.  Where do you make yourself smaller and less significant?  Where do you allow your desires to overcome your reason?  How do you balance your beliefs with your other values?

The Taurus Full Moon will ground these beliefs into reality, so it’s best to be prepared!

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Mars and Saturn in Libra

July 30, 2010 By
Mars conjunct Saturn in Libra

Illustration by Daniel Marsula

For the next week or so we will be living with Mars and Saturn conjunct in Libra.

Libra is normally a lovely sign – it is concerned with fairness, equality, peace and harmony, beauty and an aesthetically pleasing environment.  But when Mars gets into Libra it likes to stir things up.  Mars is said to be in its detriment in Libra, and in Libra it tends to go underground.  Rather than be directly obnoxious, as Mars prefers to be, Mars in Libra covers its irritation and anger with a veneer of Libran polish so that it’s hard to really see the truth that lies beneath.

Here we have Saturn overseeing this process, making sure that we must face the cold hard reality of the truth, even though Mars in Libra is doing its best to obscure those facts.  Mars and Saturn working together are described as driving with the brakes on.  Mars wants to create action, and Saturn creates its famous delays.  Both are in Libra where action is difficult because all options are equally attractive.

However, Jupiter and Uranus are opposing Mars and Saturn and stirring the pot.  We want to act – we are almost desperate for some kind of change to take place (Jupiter/Uranus opposing Mars).  But Saturn is the enforcer right now.  If you are sending delays and blockages, sit back and wait until the time is right.  Make a solid plan (Saturn LOVES a good plan).  But stay creative – there’s lots of energy for change right now and it can happen in powerful ways!

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Astrological news July 28,2010: the second wave

July 28, 2010 By

Cardinal T-squareThe big Cardinal alignment of the summer reaches another peak this week with Saturn already having moved into position and Mars and the Moon lining up as well.  (For more information about the meanings of these alignments catch up with this earlier article on the summer’s events.)

Yesterday’s Full Moon marked the final phase of the Saturn/Uranus cycle. You can read more about that cycle here and in many articles on my blog. Suffice it to say that this period, which has lasted for nearly two years, has been the source of a struggle between security and conventional thinking (Saturn) and new ideas and ways of living together as a society (Uranus) which will now come to a close.

This closing cycle of Saturn and Uranus is part of the Cardinal T-square that includes a square to Pluto, the great Transformer.  Jupiter is involved too, because it is still tightly conjunct Uranus.  The Jupiter/Uranus combination brings us in touch with a yearning for greater freedom and expansion in our lives, and this is blocked by Saturn’s determination that we confront that which is difficult but necessary.

Pluto’s involvement assures that something will be left behind.  What are we holding onto that holds us back?  With this powerful combination of planets at work there is an opportunity for total transformation at the personal level, but it may not come easily especially if our own chart is being directly affected.

Mars is at 29 degreew Virgo as I write this, within a whisper of a conjunction to Saturn in Libra at which point Mars will activate the other planets into action.  Mars is a fast-moving planet and its influence usually lasts for just a few days, but it acts to trigger other planetary dynamics into action.

The conjunction of Mars to Saturn can be very effective at focusing our attention and energy, but it can also suggest challenge and difficulty if we try to take too many steps in the wrong direction.  Mars opposing Jupiter and Uranus can be reckless and become frustrated with Saturn’s blockages, tempting us to break free before we’re ready to take that step.  And Mars in a square to Pluto takes us deep into areas of power and the lack of it, and suggests that conflicts with superiors could arise here.

The intensity of this alignment is likely to peak around the 31st of July, when the Moon enters Aries and sets off the other planets, adding an emotional component that makes it all deeply personal, perhaps even for just a day or two.  Mars, however, will remain in the picture throughout the first week of August so during this time it’s important that we remain very aware of where we are putting our energy.  This can be an exhilarating time where we become passionately involved in something, but any time we have Mars interacting with Jupiter and Uranus there is some danger for the flaring of tempers and potential for accidents caused by reckless behavior.

After this point the intensity of the planetary energy begins to subside other than the final square of Saturn to Pluto on August 21st.  This is a challenging aspect, but it’s the final phase of the cycle where it completes the work and moves on.

For daily planetary updates, visit my Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Battle of the Gods

January 18, 2006 By


Over the past week or so we’ve seen the effects of warrior Mars opposing confident Jupiter as aggressive rhetoric (Mars) becomes more and more amplified (Jupiter) across the globe. Today Neptune joins the conflict between Mars and Jupiter, obscuring and confusing the conflicts. These three planets are locked in what we call a “T-square,” where Mars opposes (180 degrees) Jupiter, and Neptune square (90 degrees) both Mars and Jupiter. The opposition and square are challenging aspects, where each planet tries to inhibit the action of the other creating a buildup of tension that eventually erupts in major conflict. In the individual personality this can lead to tremendous personal growth if handled properly. In global situations there is rarely the awareness of the need for conscious evolution, and we often end up with tragic results as “might makes right” and the more powerful entity achieves domination.

The aggressive rhetoric produced by the conflict between Mars and Jupiter over the pat few weeks has been mostly philosophical, since Jupiter rules philosophy and theology and (hu)man’s search for meaning in life. With the addition of Neptune into the mix, the battlefield becomes foggy and it becomes less clear who is on which side of the conflict, like a duststorm in the middle of a battle in the desert. Neptune challenges us to dissolve our reality and understand what lies beyond this mundane reality, and when it is in challenging aspect to other planets like it is now, it tends to confuse the issues and create illusion. On the other hand, Mars works hard to pierce those illusions using force. We are certainly seeing this in the US with the Abramoff scandal where governmental agencies are working hard to obscure (Neptune) their involvement, and other forces are struggling to reveal them (Mars).

This T-square will remain in effect for the next week or so as Mars moves out of range, but the effect of the Jupiter/Neptune square will continue. Jupiter and Neptune in stressful aspects can both be unrealistic and deluded – Jupiter with its tendency towards overconfidence, and Neptune with its veil of illusion. Over the next two weeks watch for lots of confusion and unsustainable ideals swirling about. These aspects will affect most personally those with planets in the fixed signs of Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio and Taurus.

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